Andy & Michael from Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen and Hog and Hominy will be on site making some good eats, including sausage. Be Sweet Bakery will also be on hand with German-inspired desserts.

Wiseacre will have the final kegs of their German-style beers, Dr. Gibbler Smoked Helles, Uncle Puppy Hefeweizen, Schweinhelmüt Berliner Weisse, Young Turk Pale Bock to go alongside the shining star of the day, Wiseacre’s Oktoberfest. There is no cover charge.

• High Cotton Brewing’s Oktoberfest Memphis is Saturday, October 4, from noon to 7 p.m. at the brewery, 598 Monroe Ave. The first-annual event will have something for everybody — circus performers, polka music, games for the kids, oh, and all the beer you want.

For $40, your “ticket to Bavaria” includes open taps all day, locally made bratwurst and other German fare, the first taste of High Cotton’s new Oktoberfest Lager, an exclusive beer selection not available in Memphis, plus fun and games for the entire family. Kids under 12 get in for free.

There’s also a VIP option for $75 that includes the following extras: all-you-can eat German-style buffet, locally raised whole pig roast, Oktoberfest t-shirt, expanded beer selection and a commemorative glass beer stein. You can buy tickets here. A portion of all proceeds go to Grow Memphis.

• Drake & Zeke’s Bacon and Beer Festival is Sunday, October 5, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Minglewood Hall parking lot, 1555 Madison Ave. The event, presented by 98.1 The Max, features beer and teams competing in a bacon cooking competition to win over $1,000 in cash prizes.

There will also a kids play area and music from Rosco Bandana, 2 Mule Plow, Will Tucker and Charvey. Admission is $7. Volunteers from the Ronald McDonald House will also be on site accepting donations.

Like its old-school name, High Cotton’s taproom has a rustic feel with both farmhouse and urban touches. It’s a welcome addition to Memphis’ Edge District, just outside of Downtown.

High Cotton’s 1,000-square-foot-taproom, now open three nights a week, is only the second tasting room to open inside a Memphis brewery following the opening of Wiseacre Brewing Co. on Broad last summer.

The centerpiece at High Cotton is surely the beautiful wooden bar with a light-bulb “BEER!” sign behind it, appearing now on Instagram feeds citywide.

And of course there’s High Cotton’s excellent beer. You can buy a growler to go or enjoy a pint on premise of favorites like High Cotton’s Scottish Ale, ESB or Saison, as well as seasonal and special brews.

The craft brewery’s taproom, which is being designed by Graham Reese Design Group (see renderings on this post), will occupy about 1,000 square feet of the building’s total space of 10,000 square feet. You’ll be able to buy pints and drink them in the taproom or buy kegs, growlers and bottles to go. No food will be served, but High Cotton is working with local food trucks to provide food options to patrons.

High Cotton has been distributing its locally-brewed beers to Memphis bars and restaurants since June 2013. The taproom is expected to open in June.

The expansion will cost about $227,450, of which “storefront improvement” costs total about $123,000, according to paperwork filed with the Center City Development Corp. The grant will help cover expenses such as exterior signage, exterior lighting, design/permit fees, restoration/rehabilitation and storefront windows and doors.

High Cotton is located at 598 Monroe Avenue in the Edge District in Downtown.

The staff of the Center City board had this to say about the project in recommending it for approval:

Staff first met with the applicant and began conversations about a possible CCDC incentive over eighteen months ago. Staff’s interest in this project is not only due to the current substandard condition of the facade, but rooted in a sincere belief that this project will be impactful and add appreciable life and vibrancy to the Edge neighborhood.

Local craft breweries with tap and tasting rooms can attract people and activity to an area. It is not hard to imagine that High Cotton Brewing will become a destination in the Edge District and can serve as a place for neighborhood gathering and community. Moreover, the City of Memphis has recently placed an increased focus on the Edge and the Medical Center as a potential “Innovation District.” A successful brewery with a thriving retail component is consistent with that goal.

Redevelopment of this building may very well be a critical step in attracting additional investment to the Monroe Avenue corridor. Without the Storefront Improvement Grant, the applicant would likely only focus on the interior work and may delay or forgo the needed exterior improvements. Approving a Grant in this case will leverage the applicant’s already considerable investment in the neighborhood and allow them an opportunity to make the necessary permanent improvements and upgrades to the facade.